The Loveliest Village

In a time where school shootings, low SAT scores, school-room violence and a general doubt about the future of students plague the nation, perhaps one thing is being overlooked that could aid as a boost in educational morale – technology in the classroom.

As a student who grew up in the middle to upper-class school system throughout the 90s, it was never a doubt that we would have up-to-date technology in school. Did I take it for granted? Yes.

Now that I am at Auburn, do I take the technology for granted? Yes.

Looking back, I was exposed to a computer at an early age. In elementary school, I had a hard time falling asleep on Thursday nights. Not because Friday was kickball day in gym class, but because Friday was “Oregon Trail� day in computer class (for those of you who grew up around the same time, you know how holy of a day it was when the teacher would bring out the floppy disks that contained the game).

I remember being so excited in middle school technology class because I was able to produce a faux radio broadcast. I was able to use a computer and a sound recorder all by myself and thought nothing of it.

As a member of the morning news team in high school, video editing equipment, cameras and camcorders were nothing special. They were tossed in a closet where they sat for our disposal.

Today, the ever-growing world of technology is consuming our lives. From Tivo to the iPod, from wireless internet to camera phones, staying ahead of technology is slowly becoming part of life.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit a “computer lab� in a rural high school. Walking in, it was a shock to see the number and quality of computers being used. Although I am used to Auburn’s campus which houses expensive technology in almost every building it has, this school was struggling to keep up with technology.

These computers were big and bulky. These computers barely ran. These computers worked slower than the students wanted them to. These computers had no up-to-date programs. These computers were more of a problem than an aid to the school.

In today’s learning environment, it should be a given that students not only learn about technology, but learn how to use it at the same time.

Around the globe, many school-rooms are being dubbed “wired classrooms.� What exactly does this mean? This means that the classroom is technology-driven. It has multiple computers that aid in teaching. Whether it be monitors that clarify what the teachers are discussing or stations that students can go to for further research, the use of technology is creeping into education, but not creeping into every school.

In the past few years, I have seen a small glimpse of what computers can do. I have seen where they could possibly go in the future and it amazes me. Although I don’t see myself going into a computer-based company, I know wherever I work will use computers to their fullest potential.

If the students in the schools that don’t have the most recent technology don’t work to get it, they won’t see what they are missing out on or what is out there for them to pursue.

We have computers in almost every building on campus. From the dining hall to the dorm, there is always a place to get on the Internet. We also have the Digital Resource Laboratory (DRL). Although I did not know about this lab until last year, it has become a valuable resource for projects. It houses Apple and Dell computers with the most up-to-date programs. The DRL also allows us to print off pictures, visuals, charts, etc. at almost any size, free of cost.
I am happy to see such efforts as One Laptop per Child (OLPC). This program, which started at the MIT Media Laboratory, gives underprivileged children across the world the chance to own a laptop that contains the basics of most standard computers. Not only does this program reach out to children, it shows them they have the opportunity to learn just as much as anyone else and to take that knowledge into their future.

Personally, I would love to put the greatest amount of technology into every school across the world. I would want it there not only for their use, but for them to see that they live in a day and age where history is being made. A day and age where technology is determining our lives and we have the opportunity to jump in and work to advance it.

(picture courtesy of www.Auburn.edu)

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